We delivered our first full-scale athletics meet at the University of York Athletics Stadium on the afternoon of Saturday 27 June.
The meet was a pilot of England Athletics’ new Funetics Multi Challenge (FMC) format that is the future of local U10 and U12 athletics competition. Vale of York was chosen to pilot the format for the Yorkshire and Humber region and was generously supported with a grant and staff assistance from EA on the day.
York may have been our first full-scale event, but it wasn’t the first time we had run an FMC in the region. A few months previously, we had started small and built the full-scale event up from there.
What follows is the story of how we went from a village green and nine local children to an athletics stadium filled with 96 young athletes from across the region. Our journey to a successful final event involved the organisation and delivery of three FMC events at three different scales in the Vale of York: Bubwith (village), Selby (town) and York (city).
What is FMC?
Funetics Multi Challenge is England Athletics’ entry-level triathlon or quadrathlon multi-event format for U10 and U12 children, scored according to points tables akin to a decathlon or heptathlon which are held in Roster. Total points across the three or four events can result in award certificates from Level 1 to Level 9 according to the PB Awards tables with a focus on improving personal bests rather than competing for finish line places. The aim of FMC is to introduce children to structured running, jumping and throwing whilst experiencing healthy athletics competition without too much pressure.
We stuck to the following guidelines:
- Two age groups. Exclusively for U10 (age 9 and under) and U12 (age 11 and under), with ages as at 31 August this year. Although the minimum age was originally planned to be eight, we allowed some higher-ability seven-year-olds to compete.
- Quadrathlon (four events). Sprint, endurance, jump and throw. We chose the quadrathlon format because of the confusion in some parents’ minds as to what a triathlon entails. There was no swimming! All children were encouraged to complete all four events.
- PB-scored rather than ranked. Because every result scores points according to the FMC scoring table in Roster we encouraged children to focus on improving their own performances rather than worrying about their position in relation to others.
England Athletics publish a useful club competition framework (PDF) that we used as a basis for organising our FMC events. We drew heavily on this as well as using AI to handle some of the more complicated scheduling and logistics for the bigger events.
Our mission
Our mission was simple, and we stuck to it regardless of the scale of our delivery.
“We wanted every child’s first experience of multi-event athletics to be great.“
We were thinking more Alton Towers than Olympic Trials so the following three principles underpinned everything we did:
- Grassroots athletics pathway. FMC should be fun. A first-time taster of club athletics competition that was low on pressure but high on experience. Those new to athletics should leave wanting more.
- Multi-event Personal Bests. Every child would be encouraged and supported on the day to run, jump and throw to the best of their ability across all four events. PB Awards certificates would be issued at the end as individual records of achievement to be taken home.
- Community-led. Our events were to be run by parents, carers, and our own Young Leaders. These were largely willing club volunteers rather than qualified officials. The competition was to be open to everyone in the community, not just children who were existing members of athletics clubs.
Three case studies and one summer
Here’s the scale and scope of each of the events we delivered using the FMC format this summer.
| Bubwith Village | Selby Town Fun Day | University of York | |
| Registered Children | 9 | 61 | 96 |
| Number of Volunteers | 2 (+ 4 Trainee Young Leaders) | 8 | 40 |
| Type of Venue | Grass field | Astroturf football pitch | Athletics stadium |
| Records of Achievement | Preprinted PB Awards certificates | Funetics cards and stickers | Personalised PB Awards Certificates printed on demand |
First event: Bubwith Leisure and Sports Centre
Bubwith playing field · Thursday 25 June 2026
An FMC event for 9 children delivered by just 2 volunteers and 4 trainee Young Leaders. This was our smallest FMC of the summer, and the first to run using a lightweight “Roster Replacement” we’d built ourselves. The quadrathlon was completed in under an hour.
The team
Two adult volunteers handled registration, kept the app updated and covered welfare and coaching between them. Four Young Leaders assisted with set-up and helped at each station (sprint, endurance, jump and throw) under coach supervision. With only nine children on the day, each of whom had only been doing athletics for six weeks, every young athlete also got some individual coaching as part of the event.
Scoring was automated using an AI-developed WordPress and Apps Script system, producing scores from the FMC lookup tables and the PB Awards scoring tables. Two adults were able to record scores on an iPad and officiate events simultaneously.
Photo finish
For timing, we used SprintTimer — Photo Finish, an iPad and iPhone app that’s accurate enough for FMC, easy for volunteers to use, and produces genuinely some fun finish-line photos. We distributed these photos electronically after the event, with plans to print copies to sell at future FMCs. Because the app is Apple-only, we bought two iPads to use either side of the finish line, each a backup for the other in case of malfunction or user error. One either side also allowed us to triangulate results when it was a crowded finish.
Behind the scenes: Roster Replacement’s first real test
Bubwith was where our lightweight Roster Replacement met real children for the first time: a WordPress front end, a live Apps Script backend, and a tablet, computer or mobile device in hand that could all be run by just two volunteers. All the data and results were stored in the cloud so we used a mobile phone personal hotspot to get wifi in the middle of the countryside. The system had been tested over several weeks of practice sessions beforehand, with Bubwith for real doubling as a final test event for Selby and York.
The outcome
Every result was logged live with no bugs or delays despite the tiny team. All 9 of 9 children completed all four challenges and left with a PB Award certificate. Four Young Leaders got hands-on officiating and coaching experience, and two volunteers proved a full FMC event could run without a dedicated tech volunteer.
The lesson
Small and digital worked together because the Young Leaders multiplied our small team and also gained valuable officiating and coaching experience. Low numbers at Bubwith meant low risk, and every child got individual attention and a quality first athletics experience. Running the format successfully at Bubwith gave us the confidence to take on the harder challenges at York and Selby three days later.
Part two: Selby Fun Day
The volunteer team at Selby Fun Day after the event with books donated by Kevin Moseley. More about the launch of our Kevin Moseley Coaching Library in our next newsletter.
Selby Leisure Centre · Sunday 28 June 2026
An FMC event for 61 children, delivered by 8 volunteers on an astroturf football pitch as part of Selby Town Council’s Fun Day, open to local families with sign-up via Google Form. The event ran for three hours on Sunday afternoon.
The team
Eight volunteers covered every role: registration, bibs and presentations; station leaders running sprint, run, jump and throw (two volunteers per event); one volunteer on photos and documentation; and presentations and snacks — water, apples and a friendly face for nervous first-timers and their parents.
The four events
Show Image Same four disciplines for everyone, using the U10 & U12 scoring tables.
50m/75m sprint, 400m/600m run, standing long jump/long jump, and howler throw — the same four disciplines for every child, kept simple.
Behind the scenes: when the plan met the pitch
We’d built the Roster Replacement for Bubwith — a WordPress front end, live Apps Script backend, tablet-based timing and same-day printed certificates — and planned to run the same setup at Selby, three days after it had proven itself cleanly with just two volunteers.
The reality on the ground was different. The astroturf pitch at Selby Leisure Centre had no accessible power supply for a scoring laptop or router, and every pair of hands was already needed running the events, with none free to manage tech or troubleshoot Wi-Fi.
The fallback: Funetics PB recording cards
“I completed Funetics Multi Challenge” completion card and a medal for every child.
Supplied by England Athletics, the Funetics card is a simple paper record of each event for three of the four stations. No battery, no wifi signal, no setup required. Parents registered children via a Google Form, bib numbers were issued at registration, coaches noted results on paper as they went, and individual cards were updated with personal bests for run, jump and throw. Every child received their card, stickers and a medal at the finish.
The outcome
All 61 of 61 children completed all four challenges. No child left without a result recorded and a record of achievement. Parents could see their child’s card in hand immediately, rather than waiting on emailed certificates. The volunteer team spent the afternoon coaching and congratulating children and parents, rather than inputting into spreadsheets.
The lesson
The low-tech approach worked because there was nothing to fail (a paper card can’t run out of battery), zero setup time, volunteers stayed with the kids instead of minding a laptop, and the card doubled as a keepsake parents took home alongside the medal.
A minimum viable FMC event
For other clubs, here’s everything Selby Fun Day needed: one pitch or field (any smooth surface works), 8–10 volunteers, Funetics PB cards and scoring sheets from England Athletics, medals and a completion card per child, water and snacks with a first-aider on hand, and sequential bib numbers with half-hour slots. No complicated scheduling required.
Part three: University of York
Multiple clubs, one afternoon.
University of York Athletics Stadium · Saturday 27 June 2026
The University of York was where we held our full-blown FMC meet for 96 children with 40 volunteers, live Roster scoring and personalised certificates printed on demand and presented on the day. It was an open meet advertised across the region, with several clubs bringing athletes alongside Vale of York, plus a few local school children.
The team
Forty volunteers covered four kinds of role: track events (calling starts, capturing times live using the Photo Finish app on iPads for sprint and endurance), field events (England Athletics Young Leaders measuring jumps and running the throw station alongside coaches and staff from England Athletics), Roster admin, registration and certificate production (a dedicated desk printing a named PB Award certificate for every child, presented on the day by England Athletics), and welfare and cooling stations (water sprays, shade breaks and a coffee van through a very hot afternoon).
The technology that held up
With a real track, mains power and forty volunteers, University of York ran the setup that Selby couldn’t: live Roster scoring across all four events, mains power and wifi for devices and printers, and personalised PB certificates printed and presented in real time. Even here, there were still unanticipated problems that needed fixing on the day. Our AI-created event schedule had a ten-minute overlap on two of the Howler events, which was caught and corrected by the officials on the spot.
The outcome
Every child left with a certificate showing their name, total points score and PB Award level.
Certificates were printed and handed out within 20 minutes of the last event finishing. There were 82 out of 96 children who completed all four challenges. Live scoring using Roster meant that results were correct in real time for parents and athletes to check on their phones, with no printouts needed.
The lesson
The technology worked here because with forty volunteers it meant we could assign dedicated roles for timing, measuring, certificates and welfare with nobody doubling up. Mains electricity and a proper athletics venue meant the online-only digital technology had the infrastructure it required. Roster scaled up easily across four age groups (U10B, U10G, U12B, U12G) and 96 children with some officials using a paper system if they felt more comfortable. A printed, personalised certificate gave every child something tangible to take home immediately as a record of the day.
Three FMC events, one goal
Same four events and the same scoring philosophy, matched to what each day could support:
| Bubwith | Selby Fun Day | University of York | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scale | 9 children · 2 volunteers + 4 Young Leaders | 61 children · 8 volunteers | 96 children · 40 volunteers |
| Venue | Village playing field, no power | Town astroturf pitch, no power | City athletics track, mains power |
| Tech | Roster Replacement, tablet + 2 volunteers | Paper Funetics cards | Roster + printed certificates |
| Best for | Tiny teams with Young Leaders to call on | Medium-sized fun events, limited volunteers or power | Bigger meets with a full team and venue |
What it cost
Three different scales, three different funding models:
| Bubwith | Selby Fun Day | University of York | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total cost | £0 | £1,317.75 | £2,580.91 |
| Funded by | Free use of village facilities; kit already covered by the Selby and York budgets | Selby Town Council (Community Grant) · Active North Yorkshire (Facilities) | England Athletics (FMC Grant) £1,650 · Entry fees £980 |
| Cost per child | £0 | £21.60 | £26.89 |
| Best for | Reusing kit you’ve already funded | Local council or community funding | NGB grant funding, entry fees from full-scale meets |
What families told us
A sample of the messages that came in after the York weekend:
“Although she was nervous at first, seeing others in uniform/different shoes she seemed to get stuck in and gave it a go! It was her first time on a proper track and doing long jump into a sandpit.”
“James had a great time — 3rd of 22 in the U10 boys and a Level 9 PB award. Super proud, and he’s only 8.”
“We thoroughly enjoyed our first event as an introduction so much so my son would like to join please. How do we go about it?”
“All the staff were super friendly and encouraging. It was also lovely to have female coaches to inspire her! I’m sure she would like to participate again, the heat was tricky but she managed 3/4 events.”
And from further afield:
“A shining example of what can be achieved to provide safe, fun, high-quality athletics experiences for young people.” — England Athletics
“So proud to be part of the team today — amazing organisation, and a pleasure to work with.” — A Vale of York volunteer
Choosing your approach
Match the format to what you have available on the day — all three deliver a genuine FMC experience.
- A tiny team but Young Leaders to call on? The lightweight Roster Replacement that worked at Bubwith can run with just two volunteers.
- Small team, no power, or an unpredictable venue? Use Funetics paper cards — nothing to fail, nothing to set up.
- A full volunteer team and an athletics track? Roster scoring plus personalised printed certificates makes every result feel official.
- Whatever way you do it: a completion record for every child, every time.
Start small and add complexity once you have the venue and the volunteers to handle it.
If you want more detail on how we approached the technical side of this, we’ve also written about using AI to schedule the athletics timetable for the York event, and about how the York competition first came together.
Thank you
To the volunteers, Young Leaders and officials at all three events, to England Athletics, and to the 166 children and families across Bubwith, Selby and York who made this summer’s FMC events happen — thank you.
Running an FMC event at your club? We’re always happy to share what we learned. Get in touch at ian@valeofyork.org, or find out more about joining Vale of York Athletic Community.
Ian Martin · Vale of York Athletic Community
